Firearms and BOBs

Hey everyone! For today’s article, I was hoping some of you could help share some ideas on the concept of weaponizing Bug-Out-Bags. I have a system of doing this (which I will share) but it’s kind of klunky, and some thoughts to streamline it would be appreciated. Maybe some of you will see my system as well, as possibly draw a few ideas from it.

First and foremost, though, for the time being BEFORE the SHTF, we do need to pay attention to laws. I’m sure once chaos reigns, where we carry our firearms will be of little concern, but for now, we can’t have them near any federal buildings, courts, schools, or anywhere it is posted they are not welcome. (Your state/municipality may actually expound on this, and have a further list of where they cannot go.) Here in Maine, if you have a Concealed Weapons Permit (an item any prepper should have if possible), you can keep a firearm concealed on your person, or in a backpack, purse, glovebox, etc, and it can stay in there even while you are at work. If you do NOT have one, then it must be locked up in the trunk or other unaccessible area, with ammunition stored seperately. This kind of puts a hitch in BOB plans if you wanted a gun in there. If you DO decide to keep a firearm in your bag and you do not have a CWP, be damn sure it is locked up and disassembled if possible, and keep the ammo in the glovebox. This meets Maine criteria; be sure to do research in your locality to ascertain firearms transport laws.

My Setup

As said before, I think my system is kind of awkward, but it works OK for me. My philosophy is for my BOB to be a 72-hour get-me-home bag, as 90% of the time I am within the same 30-mile radius of home, and that is where (probably) I should be when things so sour. This 30-mile radius includes lots of (very) lower-class suburbia between work and home, which I may have to schlep through or get out of in order to get home. Therefore, I really carry a firearm for self-defense, not foraging. For this task, I carry my stainless steel (lower maintenance) .45ACP SIG P220ST in a Home Depot Husky tool bag ( http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-18-in-Tool-Bag-82003N11/203224309?N=c2g6#.UZM_orUp-So ) that was less than 18 bucks. I opted for this, as it is incredibly heavy duty, being meant to carry lots of tools and be dragged around construction jobsites, and it has a shoulder strap for ease of carrying. All the tool pockets just happen to hold pistol magazines beautifully, out of the way of the main storage compartment, where a couple boxes of ammo in doubled-up zip-lock bags reside, as well as a holster, water bottle, a couple USCG-approved ration bars, paracord, lanyard, gloves, socks, basic firearms maintenance gear, a compass, and fire-starting materials reside. Also included is a 5″ Smith & Wesson first responder knife that is a BAD-ASS piece of gear.

Yes, I have a separate weapons bag (that admittedly weighs 20+ lbs) in addition to my BOB, and all this takes up a lot of room in the back of my little Tacoma. My line of thinking was that if I absolutely needed to, I could leave the gun bag behind and run with the BOB, as all the items in the gun bag are redundant to my BOB. If I HAD to, I could carry both for a pretty good distance, or, if someone is with me, (like my 13-year-old son) we can take turns carrying it. However, these days I have my previously-reviewed Smith and Wesson M&P 40C with me pretty much at all times, which makes having a whole bag for firearms kind of redundant, but it still provides a peace of mind knowing it’s there when needed.

So, my question to youse guys: How do you go about accomplishing the same mission? I’m hoping that myself and others who read here can draw on the immense knowledge we have together as a blog family, and learn a thing or two. Because these days, having a firearm in a BOB (when legal) just really seems to make a hell of a lot of sense.

I used to keep a BO firearm in my truck, varying from an AR7 .22, to Marlin 336 30-30 lever gun to a semi-auto handgun. Since my kids are school age, I’ve removed them just in case I need to go to their campus for whatever reason.

Oh – firearm possibility. A bit unconventional – T/C Contender single shot pistol. Consider – takes down to four pieces (grip, frame, barrel and forearm – the last not really necessary.) This can be easily taken apart and stored in disguised areas. Barrels come in various lengths, the short ones are really small. Can even be carried with two barrels (.22lr is everywhere and .357 can take the very common .38 Spcl. as well). LOTS of choices here.

Single shot – not much firepower. But far better than nothing. Like I said – unconventional. Perhaps a back-up option ?

TRW: This shows the main problem prepping creates. Many of us tend to become gear whores. We keep buying and stockpiling weapons/ammo/gear, long past “to much to move without a forklift”. If you have it , you want to move it / carry it. I started out as a “survivalist” in the 1970’s ,and the most interesting thing I have seen is, the GIGANTIC BOB -golf bag of guns +ammo. It is really common for “prepers” to transport more gear than they can carry. (I knew a guy back in the day that carried three rifles 600 rds. of ammo and the largest backpack then made(his bob) in the trunk of his car) This is why I only carry my .357 Mag. and 30 rds. if I am just out for the day. With that and the basic car kit,- First aid, poncho +liner , Sterno can , MRE, can opener and flash light, all in a day pack, the boy scout knife on a belt lanyard (ALLWAYS on me) I’m good within 30 miles of the house. This is really more about “need” than “want”, If I go more than 30 miles (walking distance) I consider the BOB/ ammo/ rifle. My objective is to get home FAST ,not go camping or fight the golden hoard .

Ray, couldn’t have said it better myself! I like the pistol as a BOB gun because it’s light, can be concealed, and ammo storage generally takes up less space. Like I said, my BOB is to get me home to my family, so the lighter the better…and an extra 20 lbs. of gun bag doesn’t help in THAT regard…

yeh, what Ray said.
I keep too much stuff in the car, but no firearms. (my workplace is considered federal property)
I think one of the smaller “Maxpedition”
gear slinger bags is probably the way to go. it’s a shoulder holster, and “man purse” all in one.

thats the way i went, small shoulder bag, with a set of clothes in the truck to put on if needed. ghb=10 pounds including ruger lcr and reloads. we shouldn’t be engaging in firefights, we should be running like hell. think recon.

TRW, get a pack. That tool bag is rugged, but humping it 20-30 miles will start to suck quickly. I have started to keep nearly empty packs in the vehicles for people who might be with me or are going in the same direction. I find them at yard sales all the time for $10 or less. Packs keep your hands free and you can move better. Best part is get a dull colored book/day pack and you blend in in any neighborhood.

Road Warrior, got it. I was a little befuddled. So the tool bag is strictly weapons based? I think it is a great way to keep stuff organized and visual. Carrying it is different over a distance. What does your system weigh? Not to be confrontational, but I am constantly toying with my kit and its weight. I struggle with poundage and speed and what if. I am trying to get to 20lbs, but keep hitting 30lbs. thanks

Hey Pineslayer, my BOB/GHB/72-hour bag/Backpack with useful stuff dials in at around 27 lbs, the tool bag with just redundant supplies and pistol and ammo is right at about 21.

The origination of the tool bag was to have something ready to go if I needed it, with a locked-up pistol in it, BEFORE my CCW had renewed. Now that I have it again, I can probably just consolidate everything into one bag that’s a touch heavier, and go that way.

For me I CC everyday everywhere I go so I always have a firearm on me, but I also carry a pack with me (511 Covrt) blends in just fine. I am able to carry all I need to get home if I have to travel by foot. With this packs ability I carry an additional firearm with tac light, a pair of bdu style pants, pull over, gloves, knives, additional magazines and of course snacks, everyone needs snacks! I feel carrying ammo in boxes is not a good idea as it takes time to load magazines. I carry the same gun in my bag as on my person so all mags are interchangeable. With the right attachments my bag can carry 6/16 round magazines not counting what’s in the firearms. It’s a good set up for me, food for thought we are talking about making it home, to me there are places to save money but when my life may depend on it I will invest in the gear needed to get home to see my family.

Ray touched upon one of contentions about “SHTF” & this over killed, now mainstream fad about prepping for doomsday, zombie apocalypse or the Kardashian family taking over the White House that I simply abhor.

The Jehovah Witnesses have been talking end times since 1914, Mormons have been prepping for at least 7 decades & finally it has all spilled over into mainstream & there is a small group (relative to the entire population) that is positive we are on the precipice of the world spinning into some dark age total collapse and yet, the beat goes on.

Mounting debt, morality tanked, people live vicarious lives in cyberspace and yet, the beat goes on.

It’s this vicarious life that has me most concerned with people today. Specific to this discussion is the Rambo type mentality where people load up a fantasy “bug out bag”, ties on the leather strap headband, Kabar clenched in their teeth & makes a beeline into the woods. Set up camp & razor wire the perimeter, load up the magazines & wait for the intruder …. only to awaken by your wife’s voice calling, letting you know dinner is on the table & to please pry yourself away from that damned computer.

People began popularizing into mainstream this prep for this nonsense, back in the mid 60’s – that is over 50 years now. Photographers captured pics of Huey’s landing in the Vietnam jungle & that imagery got extrapolated to these mechanized locust taking over the world from an obscure Biblical passage. Then that snowball was pushed down the mountain into tomorrow. Yet the problem remains – tomorrow never comes.

My parents bought a years worth of freeze dried food for Y2K & there it sits in the garage as the beat went on without skipping a single moment but hay, at least they were prepared. Then we fast forward to today thinking: “but Jason, this time it is really different – can’t you see the signs of the time?” Yes, that’s why I wear a wristwatch.

Those of you who think I am out of my mind – thank you I take that as a high compliment because out of your mind is the only place reality exists. Anything else is a game of futility, mental masturbation & the beginning of insanity.

One final question – if you felt threatened, could you actually take someone’s life? No Rambo, you could not. Beat your monkey chest all you want but when push comes to shove, you’ll flee & hopefully with your 9mm Glock paperweight.

Wow, you should take you wisdom and talk to all the people who got stuck in the LA riots, or hurricane Katrina, or Sandy, or… gee the list just seems to go on and on. Some people just like being prepared.

The nice thing about all this “useless gear” is it holds value pretty well as long as it is quality and in good condition. Especially firearms and ammo. I’m sure your parents could sell the food they bought and make a profit on it (inflation you know).

You’re probably right; most people would have a hard time taking another persons life, but it’s nice to have the equipment to make it a choice.

I grew up in L.A. & went thru 2 sets of riots – Watts in ’65 & the Rodney King riots in ’92. There was no realistic prepping for them, in both cases it was the blacks burning their own streets & it was contained there. The Koreans were armed & kept the rioters at bay. I lived within a few miles of those hot spots.

I never called it useless gear, it was the fantasy mindset that I was addressing hence, vicarious living. Prepping for natural catastrophes like hurricanes, tornados, floods or whatever is normal or expected in your area is prudent. But the fact is over 95% of the people do not prepare for retirement, let alone the other.

Here’s the thing about packing a gun, you better be fully prepared to use it for more than a show & tell piece. If you are not fully prepared, you will be in a very tough predicament should the extremely rare occurrence arise. Nobody is prepared for that – even law enforcement has a very difficult time pulling the trigger when forced.

It’s not about planning and prepping for doomsday. Its about planning and prepping for the unknown, and Jason ,if pulling the trigger was as hard as you seem to think the last 100 or so wars would never have happened. In fact people (human) have very VERY little inhibition when it comes to killing under stress. Most of them are thankfully untrained and have little natural talent for it, else the murder rate would be far higher in Chicago and LA. Personally I have seen few in the “Preper” community that have a “Rambo” fantasy, Try Trolling the III% ers or the Militia guys. That’s more there style.

Wars are fought by soldiers, soldiers are heavily trained to overcome or work through fear. Soldiers are trained to disassociate & have enemy targets or combatants.

The average citizen with a gun when faced with the real situation of pulling the trigger cannot do it OR their aim will be so far off it will present a danger to themselves. It is not a game or some movie playing in their head, it is a very difficult situation.

Anti-Jason below is a prime example of how someone loses focus & lets emotion take over – that is the worst enemy. I have some practical experience with this & know you cannot control any situation until you control yourself. People seem to think it is as simple as chamber a bullet, squeeze & the opponent is knocked down. That’s pretty damn naive.

Charles,,,,May 15, 2013, 1:54 pm

Hello BOB, by reason other then Jason’s, life for me doesn’t just snowball along, My state allow’s CC along with open carry and many a truck has a rifle rack mounted behind the seat, a bag to me is used nearly anytime I’m on the road, I drink the water and refresh the bottles asap, along with granola bars and peanutz, the entrenching tool has often helped along the roadside when I spot plants needing a good home, fire starters have come in handy as well, so the BOB is an everyday kit for me. All in a standard gray/black, double stitched backpack that Toshiba made to carry laptop’s/etc., and man did they stack on the pouches to these. You asked what “gun” have I chosen, I carry a Glock 21, with another in the BOB, each has a six mag belt pouch, all loaded, the shotgun along with a bandolier of assorted ammo in the gun rack is a trusted Mossberg 500, do I expect to have a crazed run to the house in the middle of the day, I doubt it, we will have plenty of lead time to see event’s, should we all have a BOB, I think so, there’s everyday useful item’s within. If one think’s we have tipped the sanity barrier, I recommend reading The Harbinger and research the fact’s for oneself, just one man’s opinion.

I would also say get a pack instead of the tool bag. Perhaps not quite as stealthy, but way easier to get around if you need to, and it might take up less room. I’d also swap out the BOB gun for another M&P perhaps a full size since you aren’t concealing/carrying it. That way you can just carry one type of magazine and ammo. Maybe even a holster also so if you have another trustworthy party along you can arm them too.

I’ve been thinking about throwing a couple of loaded AR mags in mine just to have, although I don’t usually carry an AR in the truck. I do carry a box of 12 gauge slugs as my BOB does double duty as my camping/day pack, and my shotgun is always along when we’re in the woods.

I am enjoying the conversation here but because we are retired, we seldom leave the homestead so the practical applications of these discussions while informative, have little value to our lifestyle.
The reason I am posting is to take acception to the term TRW used in his post that drives me crazy, i.e. conceal weapon/carry permit. I refuse to acknowledge the governments’ authority to permit me to exercise my second amendment rights. I prefer to use the term license insted of permit. I know most would say ‘what’s the difference’. Because I think government is using this term to try to indoctrinate the people over time to believe this privilege is granted/permitted by them. Start using the term license people.

Excellent point – you caught that subtle difference with the words used to describe our right. As you so cleverly pointed out, when the government “permits” you to carry concealed, they are controlling that right & it is a bit of an oxymoron. “Licensed” is a far better & much more appropriate term – good job.

Other than keeping a pistol in the trunk of my car, I only worry about guns when I’m far from home for a few days.

I use a Kit Bag from Hill People Gear that clips to the shoulder straps of which ever pack I decide to take with me and holds a pistol, a couple of magazines, a couple of energy bars and a monocular.

For a rifle I generally take my Marlin Papoose, which can be taken down and fitted into a larger pack or carried by putting the butt of the rifle in a waterbottle holder an putting the barrell inside of a compression strap.

There seems to be one mental jerk-off who likes to beat his monkey chest, that comes here to throw a wet blanket on the party. It’s a damn shame, because at times, he can contribute some good insights.

So if we all die of old age with a year or two of food, and lots of gear we’re fools? You seem to hurl that accusation at your parents, Maybe there is a genetic flaw passed down.

As for taking lives, I assure you Jason, I can take lives of anyone who threatens my safety and security and that of any innocents.

Oooh sarcasm, I recognize that – at least it got you to think. Maybe you should reread what I wrote, I was addressing how people are influenced by some of what I call stupidity or nonsense.

They used to be called emergency kits now it is called a Bug Out Bag, stockpiled with guns & ammo, implying the worst in this TEOTWAWKI/SHTF, run for your life brain freeze state because the zombies are coming down main street.

As for my parents, I was shocked when they bought the buckets of freeze dried food. My dad was a think tank guy who worked in the defense industry & had the highest government clearance available which took a year of background checking (each family member was checked out by the feds as well). He understood the Y2K problem well but he & my mom got scared into the nonsense by all of the speculative crap in the MSM. It was annoying because it was a waste of time & he & I both discussed the near zero probability of the world halting because of the double zero rollover.

What you want to call a wet blanket is EXACTLY what I was addressing. You seem disappointed that I popped the little fantasy bubble with the reality pin. Look around, life is pretty good when the cyber filters are removed. It seems as though that some want something – anything – to happen just to relieve the pressure & tension that has been building over the decades.

As far as you killing somebody, unless you’ve done it – you don’t know if you could & the odds are way against you. Besides your response is too emotional & that element alone will cloud your judgement & tells me you are not prepared to go the distance. That’s my unabashed opinion.

Well auntie,
How many have you killed? — I mean in real life, not playing HALO.
I have put my life on the line many times to save lives, and luckily, I have not had to kill to do that. I know what it is like to be shot at (and missed), and I know the stench of burning flesh and cordite. I know what it is like to see the light go out in a man’s eyes. Dozens, maybe hundreds, have lived because of the decisions I have made. Others HAVE died because of decisions I made.
Because I have not yet killed by my own hand, do not think for a moment that I would not hesitate to slay any and all who endanger those endanger anyone in my charge. This includes cowards. quislings, and arrogant know-it-alls.
Jason, sometimes you show intelligence, but too often you are such a wise ass, you would get your ass handed to you by some of the people you look down on with your long nose. In a true SHTF situation, you pull that kind of shit on me, and I will put bullet through your medulla.

PTSD is treatable & you may want to consider it, you are wound up way too tight. I’m not going to play your little chest bumping game.

I speak my opinion & if it doesn’t suit you, that’s fine but try to use your head & respond back with something other than playground bully tactics & Benedict Arnold references, I mean please – shoot me in the medulla? Don’t be stupid & childish, this is a blog not Falluja.

PTSD? Hell no. I’m still making those calls 40+ hrs a week. Last weekend I drank two glasses of wine at dinner to celebrate. 2007 Pinot Noir. I always make sure it has 48 hrs to clear my system. Why celebrate? Because I was part of a team that prevented as many as 300 casualties, the eight hospitalized were all non fatal. I am actually making a difference.
I don’t come here and sneer at people. I’ve got the the history and credentials to back it up.
You are the one with the over-inflated ego.
There are people here like Spud who have been there, done that. Just because you sat glued to the TV watching the Watts and R King riots, in the comfy den of your suburban LA home doesn’t make you an expert on SHTF.
If you want to contribute, try to do it on a positive note.

JasonMay 16, 2013, 9:48 am

What you call sneer, I call perspective. You seem to take what I say personally & that’s your problem. You assume that I have no experience & further assume I’ve never been in the thick of things. You question whether I have ever taken a life as if it is some measure of my qualifications for my opinion. My non answer should be your answer.

You are the person who is arrogant, idiotic & has the over inflated ego for making blind assumptions & bragging about your latest act of humanity. It is obvious you lack maturity & perspective.

You did a good thing & it was part of your >>job<< so leave it at that. You mistake people agreeing with another as a positive note, how foolish of you. One becomes a blindsided fool when they cannot consider an opposing viewpoint.

Think about it – you wanted to shoot me in the medulla for my opinion. Laughable.

MichaelMay 15, 2013, 7:31 pm

There is a degree of silliness to some “prepper stuff.”

For example, the book bag that I and and a billon other people tote around is now a EDC bag and comes with various “tactical” options. I still call my bag a book bag and am hopelessly unprepared as mine isn’t black and doesn’t have any tactical features.

There’s also thread of thought that sees “preppers” as the saved and the chosen few while “non-preppers” are the damned. This is nonsense. We’re all just humans and plenty of non-preppers have extra food in the house and have all sorts of usable skills if an emergency were to happen.

Don’t get me started on the “civilian sheepdog.”

Most of what I have in terms of preps has a dual role. I have guns in the car when I go to far away rural places mostly because I usually have a chance to get some shooting in and I’m worried about hitting a dog or deer and not being able to put it down.

There is frequently a handgun or two in my trunk, but I also live about 2 miles from a shooting range that almost always has an open lane. Those handguns are there, mostly, for convenience and opportunity. But hey, bad shit does happen and I’m better off with the guns around than not. But, I don’t go around looking for or thinking that the world’s going to collapse at any moment. It isn’t.

We pretty much have come to the same conclusion. Going from the philosophy of making a bug out bag to making it a get home bag. There are many scenarios that might an evacuation, but getting home would most likely be the real event.

Great piece.
This is my approach. I live in Louisiana where your car is considered an extension of your house, which makes it easier. That said, I would probably do it this way anyway…
And, by the way, I do have a CCW.
I carry a get-home-bag only. My office is 17 miles from my house. That’s about 6 hours of non-stop walking with some not so nice areas to cross including two bodies of water. I do not carry a sewing kit nor fishing kit because I’m not gonna stop for that long.
As for firearms, I have a little pocket gun in a notebook cover all zipped up and stuffed in my bag with mags and bullets. It’s buried deep inside and seldom gets pulled out for any reason. In one of the outside pockets, I carry a P3AT and spare mag in a holster I made (I’ll send you pictures if you want RW) so that it sits upright. My bag sits on the passenger seat of my vehicle with that pocket toward me in case I need it real quick.
I’ll be happy to go through the entirety of my bag contents if you want. I just wanted to answer the question at hand.
What do you think of my approach?
Thanks again.

I’ll try and stay on topic. When organizing your BOB or GHB, bet short and long term. In any scenario, be it natural or man-made, one never knows how many obstacles will be encountered. Think 72 hours on the road. Water, food, shelter, and security. You can go for days with sparse calories, water and shelter are the biggest priorities. Security is very different. If you have to traverse Detroit, bring plenty, if it is rural NM, a smile will do just fine :)

Human reaction can be defined easily when cornered, fight or flight. Some will go into the fetal position, I doubt if anyone reading this fits into that category. I know how I react to a confrontation, aggressively. If you can flee safely, do it, if not the best defense is a brutal offense. As the saying goes, “Better to be judged by 12, than to be carried by 6”.

It is better to be prepared and never need , than need and not be prepared ! Anything beyond your naked human body is better than nothing…
Jason is in fact correct in stating that no man knows whether he can indeed pull that trigger in advance. I saw this with my own eyes in the jungles of Nam. Some just plain hesitated too long and paid the price.
My daily carry is but a pocket 22 mag. But my truck has a 45 under the seat at all times.
Don’t really care if I have to throw all that stashed food out every few years. Gives peace of mind just having it.

Jason ,All I know is what I know. If attacked I will shoot, when I shoot I shoot to kill. I will not hesitate .If you use the right weapon & ammunition you WILL have a “one shot stop”. I know all of this as fact. The killing inhibition is a learned state, most “solders” over the last 200 years were poorly trained conscripts who learned to kill on the battlefield, this to include the wars of the 20th century. Let me extend that “poorly trained” to most(over 90%) of cops. Double down for California ,a state with some of the most poorly trained ,cowardly , moronic, murderous and trigger happy Thugs on the earth. You really cannot judge the rest of America by the Peoples Republic of California.

This isn’t some biased view I have from the PRC, it is purely a universal fact of human nature. The taking of another human life is not a natural act for a human being. Why do you think murder has the toughest penalty across the globe? Because people universally agree it is wrong & it has been this way in all recorded history. Even today a person will get arrested for justifiable homicide until it is proven legal.

It is not inherent to the human condition to kill another human. We have been inoculated by the Hollywood movies which will show revenge killing coupled with a cleverly written script that will glorify the taking of a life can be acceptable & can be justifiable but that is blatantly misleading to sell tickets.

Take Anti-Jason above for example. It would appear that he has been involved in combat situation(s) & said he has seen the carnage & aftermath of that action. If taking a life was acceptable even in war, would he have responded in such a vigorous & over the top way? Clearly not & that is the leading cause of PTSD among battle scarred soldiers, bar none.

Maybe you possess the cold hearted ability, which is exactly what it takes, to draw a bead on some 20 year old boy who tried to rob or “attack” you & can live with the aftermath but I assert that is a very rare condition for any human being. You can train an individual to kill but you cannot train them to accept the aftermath.

My main point is, people read suggestions like these which glorify carrying a gun & extra mags in an emergency kit, implying it is an essential tool to survival but I believe it can suggest it changes the view from defensive to a more offensive weapon.

The biggest issue we have with the battle from the anti 2nd Amendment gun grabbers today has only to do with a gun’s glorification & apparent use in offensive situations & the blatant push for open carry, making it an arrogant display to bolster someone’s lack of confidence. That viewpoint has validity because of how the pro gun side responds but everybody misses the mark because of emotion.

When you boil it down, a gun is purely a tool for self defense only & that is exactly what the 2nd Amendment addresses & it would seem that people have lost sight of the function this inanimate object.

“Because these days, having a firearm in a BOB (when legal) just really seems to make a hell of a lot of sense.” Why??

This is the reason I wrote what I did, because it does not make sense. I drive through an urban ghetto on average once per week for the past 20 years & have yet to be threatened by any gang member. I was stopped once in the middle of the street in my car by a couple of seriously prison tatted & shaved head gang guys & asked what I was doing there. When I explained, they smiled & let me go along. Had I had my 9mm HK under my right thigh, the condition could have changed radically due to the newly introduced dynamic. No thanks, the potential outcome is not worth the risk.

Here is a simple equation that almost always proves out – don’t fuck with someone & they don’t fuck with you, respect someone & they respect you.

I have driven through South Central, Compton, Watts many times & I mind my business. I’d much rather have a heavy foot on the gas peddle than a .45 any day because with a gun you put yourself in a very compromising & an irreversible situation, one which can end in permanency on many levels or looking over your shoulder for the next 12 months.

While I understand you probably get the magnitude of responsibility that comes with owning & using a firearm, it is articles like these make me think a gun is reduced to a boy’s toy. Sorry but I am not as caviler about it.

Always good advice to check local laws about carrying firearms. If you carry your BOB everywhere, then yes, obey the laws. But should the BOB be needed for it’s original purpose, throw all that out the window, make sure you have a quick access concealed spot for that gun. Safe to say that if you really need to use your BOB, it pretty much means lawlessness is the rule.

Although each of my family members has a Survival Pack (camping & outdoor items) and a Bug Out Bag (mainly clothes & food), I keep a few smaller, Get Home Bags in my SUV at all times. These bags are centered around a particular weapons system. For example, I converted the handy pack that my Ruger 10/22 Takedown came with into a survival kit. Also, I keep my EDC Smith & Wesson Governor in a military map/photo case (fag bag). I added a space blanket, DATREX Bars, home made survival tin (like the Altoids cans from the SAS Manual) and some other odds and ends. They both are light enough to run with. I don’t want to perpetuate the argument above. I do offer the suggestion that many of us would rather “Have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” Also, just because a tragic event (natural disaster, economic collapse, terrorist attack, etc) has not happened for a while, does not mean it won’t. Or more important, THAT IT CAN’T! Why are any of us following these survival sites? I suspect it is because we anticipate some crisis or disaster will happen within our lifetime.

Oh sure, the climate, the ocean, the Mtns. etc.
However do not miss the government and all the stupid nanny state laws, nor do I miss the hoards of people.
Really miss riding dirt bikes out at Ocotilla Wells and down in Baja. I’ll come back if all the Kalifornians would leave heh….

Oh yeah , perfectly legal . Not many do , you see open carry more in rural Arizona , in the cities , people carry it more discretely , good thing about that law is that you can have protection and security with you , and nobody is the wiser about it .

PS. I will say this about laws tho , know them , BUT if things are so bad that they are able to uproot you from your home , the law is either the problem causing the situation , or there is no law . Better to be judged by 12 , than carried by 6 .
Just sayin .

as for the debate on the bug out bag (go bag?) or whatever we’re calling it…

let’s say- hypothetically- that you’re in LE (stop me if you’ve heard this one!). And let’s say that you are right next door to, i dunno… a manhunt for a terrorist who just ambushed an MIT officer, got in a gunfight with others, and is now on the loose… while that’s not “bugging out,” I- I mean “you” :-) may find that things contained in said “bag” come in very, very useful during a long-ass day spent hunting said bad guy. Not Rambo-ing into the woods, not outrunning a nuclear blast, and not fending off zombies with one hand as I hold back the gates of hell. Real world.

Let’s say you’re a civilian, as most of you are on here. And let’s say you’re stuck inside of the perimiter. or stuck at work in or around it. Would that stuff come in handy? I would think so.

While not all of us are sitting, waiting for zombies to fast-rope from alien warships, it is good to know what problems are likely and/or possible in your area.
With that, we must all realize the world has changed…. never thought I’d need to actually USE my “emergency bag” but did. Never thought I’d don my gear because we were HUNTING a terrorist… not just on American soil, but down the street!
Shit happens… Real shit. Be ready for THAT.

that’s why I call it my “spontaneous weekend getaway bag”.
I don’t know how I may end up using it, but knowing I have it opens up “possibilities”. (hunting trips, fishing trips, a romantic getaway with the wife…etc)

Going off the rez here. Got a question that is sorta on topic, if you stretch a little. I was in the San Diego area 2 years ago, did the Legoland, Seaworld, Zoo thing. We would spend the mornings walking around the area before heading into the hordes. There were days that we were the only people walking anywhere, we didn’t even see bikers. Being from CO we were really a little freaked out. We had heard that everyone drives everywhere, but didn’t really think that it was that bad. I am sure we stuck out. So my point is, or questions, was it a fluke or is it that way most of the time. Next, would those people be able to go 20 miles home if need be, in flip flops. For the record Legoland rocks, Seaworld sucks, SD Zoo is cool, if you like zoos.

San Diego is beautiful – lived here since ’89. Working out, especially the aerobic type (cycling, swimming, jogging etc) is a pretty big way of life here – definitely more so than L.A.

The problem here is if anything catastrophic happened that required mass evacuation, it would be impossible. There is only one freeway that heads east & two going north & they can get pretty jammed up during rush hour. Toss in another 20% more vehicles & it would be a parking lot.

I’m sure it would be or is on a terrorists hit list because we have a huge Naval base, the Navy Seal training station, a gigantic Marine Corp base, nuclear power plant (San Onofre), Top Gun Naval Pilot school & lots of high end biotech companies here. Plus, the swiss cheese border makes entry for terrorists easier, especially since they are similarly complexioned as Mexicans.

Life in suburbia is pretty well suited & set up to walk a mile or so to get most anything but, your observations are correct, nobody walks. People will drive that short distance to get a Starbucks coffee – weird I know. I cycle to many places because I enjoy it but I am definitely well in the minority.

The weather is unbeatable & like many popular places, it does have its drawbacks. I grew up living within walking distance from the Southern California ocean & just can’t find a better situation than San Diego for me.

I tried to read all the responses, so as not to regurgitate what has already been said, but I could not get through them all. TRW, carrying too much stuff in your vehicle can be as much a problem as not carrying enough. Remember, your car breaking down or getting in accident is much more likely than the “balloon going up”. In the event that either of these things happen, you really don’t want to have to carry a twenty pound bag and your BOB as well as your laptop etc., nor do you want to leave firearms behind. I recently bought a new vehicle and it took me no less than a half hour just moving all my gear from my old truck to my new SUV.

It is especially hard for us “gearwhores” to keep our carry gear to a minimum, but I am trying. A couple years ago I bought three inexpensive fanny packs at Wal-mart and filled them with stuff like aspirin, TP, a folding knife fire-starting supplies, a small flashlight etc. They all weigh less than a couple of pounds and contain all that anyone needs to get home, in most circumstances. I put these in all three of our vehicles. I, of course, also have my personal BOB which I carried in my vehicle. Right now I am trying to pare down what I keep with me. I probably don’t need the AR-15, Saiga and, the 870 shotgun that used to reside in my F-250, in addition to the half dozen or so handguns that were generally with me not mention all the spare mags and ammo.

I carry all day everyday as well and two spare mags ride on my belt as well as my gun. I carry a knife in my pocket at all times. With the addition of the small pack and the proper clothing I am fairly well covered. Leave all the extra gear at home.